How to Clean Old Wood Furniture [Simple Ways to Restore it]

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Discovering to clean your old wood furniture which is dirty for decades? Just use the simple hacks given below to lift off years-old embedded dust and grime.

You must know how to deal with old or antique furniture to prevent an expensive mistake. A good solid wood may last for centuries, but need care and proper treatment to look as beautiful as once it was. When you follow the best way and appropriate tools to clean old and expensive goods, you are not only keeping them safe from irreversible damage but also increasing their life. You can restore its original shine and condition with proper housekeeping, preservation, and deep cleaning.

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Steps to Restore Dirty Old Wood Furniture Naturally at Home

All You Need is:

  • Microfiber cloth
  • Toothbrush
  • Shoe brush
  • Soap water
  • Coconut oil
  • Homemade furniture polish
  • Cotton cloth

Time: 30 mins      Skill: Intermediate 

Remove the Dust from Wood

Dusting the furniture is necessary to maintain and keep it shining. To get started cleaning years-old wood furniture the first step is to remove all the dust and dirt on the wood. For this purpose use a soft bristle brush or cloth to cling the dust to it. Then use a damp microfiber cloth or towel to wipe out the dust left on the wood.

Tip
If you have carving on the furniture then use a shoe brush to remove the dust. 

Use Soapy Water

Mix a few drops of dish soap into the bucket of water to make soapy water. Apply it with a cotton cloth or scrub it with a sponge to remove grime if found on the surface of the wood.

It is suggested to take a small test on the hidden or lower side of equipment before using any method so that it will not be visible.

Wipe the surface

Wipe the surface with a clean cotton cloth to discard any grime or dust residue.

Dry the Wooden Surface

After finishing the cleaning process, it’s time to dry it with a clean and smooth cloth. While drying, make sure, you have dried every bit of the furniture.

Buff the Coconut Oil

This step is one of my favorite cleaning steps in wood restoration. Take a toothbrush or a piece of cloth to buff the coconut oil to get deep into the wood, and left it for about 10 minutes. Then wipe the excessive amount of oil with a cloth. This will make your furniture looks glowy and new.

Apply HomeMade Funiture Polish

Make your own homemade furniture by adding 1 part of vinegar to 3 portions of olive oil, shaking it, and mixing it well. Spray it on the cotton cloth and scrub gently on the wood.

Recommendation
Here my personal recommendation is not to use polishers that are available in the market. My team tried multiple polishers but we noticed regular use of polishers makes your wood dull with time.

Disinfect the Wooden Furniture

Disinfection is the process to eliminate dangerous microorganisms staying for long on the surface because we touch furniture a hundred times a day.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Vinegar
  • water
  • Dish soap
  • cotton cloth

Steps to Disinfect Wood Furniture

1. For disinfection vinegar works the best. Vinegar is a combination of acetic acid and water. Acetic acid is weak but effective in cleaning and disinfecting. Mix an equal amount of drops of vinegar and dish soap in a cup of water.

2. Spray the mixture on the wood and scrub it gently with a cotton cloth to clean the surface. Our recommendation is to test the method on a little portion. Then apply on the whole.

3. Wipe it to remove excess moisture on the wood.

4. Repeat the process if necessary.

5. Let the wood dry for 2 hours and then enjoy your clean wooden furniture.

Andrews

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